Optional: E-mail the legislators on the committee. Example e-mail address: Firstname.Lastname@lrc.ky.gov . If that doesn’t work they have a contact page on their informational page.

Information: The original bill was fine as it related to prescription authority for hydrocodone. However, a committee sub added to the bill a ban on Kratom. Kratom is a natural herb that is not dangerous and is used as a natural pain killer in place of stronger prescription pain killers. Some states have attempted to ban this drug such as Florida and Louisiana, but are now reversing their decisions and putting age restrictions on it instead. Doesn’t matter if it is something good or bad, Kentucky is always behind other states. If this legislation passes is will hurt many small businesses in this state, while helping big pharma eliminating another safe natural alternative.

18 Responses to “OPPOSE SB 136: BANNING THE KRATOM HERB”

This bill, as it is now written, will do one thing, and one thing only, and that is to increase the people addicted to actual narcotics. The motivations behind this are most likely myriad. It increases the money made by pharmaceutical companies and it also keeps up populations in the prison industrial complex. I find it sad that Kentucky would do this to it’s citizens.

I have suffered from chronic pain for 22 yrs. I have 5 bulging and herniated disc’s, DDD, Fibromyalgia, CTS, CFS, Narcolepsy, PTSD (9/11) and recently due to Fibro I fainted and injured both ankles, both knees, R wrist and my neck from hitting my face on the bathroom counter when I dropped! 1st of all I have not had a drink of alcohol since Aug 15, 1997. So that being said you will understand my concerns as I tell my story. I have had a rough life, like most of the world, but when I get knocked down I jump right back up and keep fighting but 10 yrs ago when my fibro got so bad I couldn’t work, clean house of function with our something to take for pain. I started getting medications for pain, depression and anxiety. All through my life I have been on some kind of medication. Until 3 yrs ago I was able to “get by” Then I ended up on 13 different medications, I couldn’t work at all. I was approved for disability and had a total of 360 doctors apt in one year. YES I know! That just about 1 for every day of the year! Well between all the meds and the depression I came to the conclusion that this quality of life wasn’t acceptable. It was a logical decision. So I took 150 amitriptyline. Fortunately my brother in law got the police and medic’s to my house before he got off the phone with me. I was in ICU for 3 days on 2 IV’s at the same time. When I was “released” I was sent straight to The Ridge, a psych hospital in Lexington, KY. I was there for 10 days. The psychiatrist was trying to explain there was nothing logical about suicide from chronic pain. Till this day, I bed to differ! Since my release I have been hospitalized 3 more times for depression, cutting and more suicide attempts. I finally promised my Mother I would wait to end my life till she died. She said I couldn’t do that to her cause then who is going to take care of her. (she was taking care of me instead, ?) So I got back on the chronic depression pain horse again and fought to keep my head above water. It wasn’t until 5 months ago I was in a Fibromyalgia support group that a friend Kathy Turner sent me a pm, telling me about Kratom. I didn’t believe 1 plant held the miracle for chronic pain relief when the pharmaceutical companies couldn’t even come up with 1 drug that took care of my pain. It took me 1 month to get up the courage to actually try it. I went to a local head shop and asked them if you had kratom. That is the beginning to the end for me. The end of chronic pain, the end of multiple ER visits a week, the end of my depression, the end of me trying to always end my life! I started using kratom to help with my chronic pain but what I’ve found out is I don’t need anxiety pills any more, I don’t take antidepressants anymore, I’m off 11 medications now! I’m not a regular tat the pharmacy. I can clean my house today! I was talking to my Father last week who is President of AMS (America Military Society) and told him, if we can get my neck where I’m not always suffering I just might be able to get off Disability! That was music to his ears. He doesn’t understand chronic pain so he would always tell me I just need to stop being a baby and get a job. Well for him to hear me say that… even he is happy that I take Kratom! I can take care of my Mother today, who is very ill with emphysema. And life is not all about me. My day does not consist of sleeping and crying today. Some of the medications I am off of now are Provigil, Adderall, Gabapentin, Viibryd, the list goes on! Since taking kratom I have shared it with my sister, my PCP, my pain specialist and my therapist. I have also started a face book page, Kentucky Kratom United to send all my doctors, friends, family and anyone who is interested to hear who I no longer SUFFER! My life is full now. I can now become a part of society. I don’t have to rely on everyone to survive. But most of all… I want to LIVE TODAY! As long as Kratom is legal in America, I have a way up and a way out! REMEMBER. I have tried suicide 5 times, today I want to live, not die.

Im asking that you please remove this bill. Banning kratom will NOT help the war on drugs. Kratom is an all natural leaf grown in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. It has never killed anyone. It doesnt make you high, delusional or have hallucinations. This wonderful plant has helped so many! People have used it to get off opiates, heroin, drinking and even smoking. It personally for me has helped give my children there mother back. I have scoliosis, bulging disk and arthritis. Many days i had to lay on the couch with a heating pad. Please keep kratom legal. Please do real research. This is a life saving plant with no risk to life or health.

Please research before anyone bans this natural plant, Kratom. I no longer need meds for pain or restless leg syndrome, or sleeping medications. The choice was mine to quit the meds because of the habit I know I was creating. I discovered Kratom here locally in Louisville, KY. A person cannot overdose on Kratom. It will make you sick first and you will throw up. It is such a blessing to have access to this product. It is helping many, many addicts quit the road to hell. Why, why would it be banned? It is harmless to the people it has helped.

Please don’t let this happen. I was a hardcore fifth a day alcoholic from ages 16-25 and this natural herb is to credit in large part of my sanity for the last 6 years. I can function without body pains and psychological self hatred. It’s such a sneaky shame they lumped kratom in with illegal synthetics and the tried and true legal prescriptions which should probably be illegal. Why do the pharmaceutical companies want every single corner of the market at the detriment of human lives? Hydrocodone is ao much more addictive and mind numbing and prone to making people lifeless whereas kratom can provide equal pain relief without the mental cloud.

Oppose SB 136: Kratom is an all natural remedy to chronic pain. It is an alternative to all the pain medications that cause so much destruction. Kratom is a wonderful alternative to the addictive components of narcotics.

The bill went to the Judiciary committee and it did not make it out of committee before the end of the legislative session. It’s current status is “posted in committee.” Since Kentucky does not have carryovers from one session to the next, I believe that the bill may be dead. I’m not 100% sure of that since its status isn’t denoted as “died in committee.”

Just remember my beloved Kentucky-ns, we hold the voting power in our hands.. Meaning we decide on who gets voted in each of the law makers sets.. Take a stand!!! Fight with your mind and know together we stand!!! Divided we fall.. Tell your family, talk to your friends, change ky, your home and mine..we are the people we are the word we are the rules… Tkk8595563079…

The ban did not pass in Kentucky, but he DEA is going ahead and adding it to the list of schedule 1 drugs. The DEA is one of the federal agencies that does have policing authority/peace officer status in Kentucky.